Creating a Classroom of Soulful Hospitality

“You helped me think and relate. You cared about me. I’m extremely grateful. But I finished my youth as a stranger to my own soul. Why didn’t you help me with that?”

Teachers work very hard to welcome their students. They decorate the rooms, generously listen, and care about each student. They make sure that the minds and hearts of their students are present and engaged, practicing what could be called: “Educational hospitality.”

What would happen if we extended this hospitality to include also the souls of our students? What if we practiced “Soulful Hospitality?”

As we begin our new school year – I’d like to offer a new vocabulary word for the classroom: “Soulful-izing”.

How can we create a classroom that not only develops the critical thinking of our children and deepens their emotional intelligence, but also welcomes their souls and expands their spiritual awareness? How can we soulful-ize our classrooms?